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Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Milk Alternatives - Make your own!

So to follow up on my last postabout milk, I wanted to provide a few alternatives to moo-cow milk. My husband bought me a Blendtec for my last birthday which has reallllly helped with my being able to make these drinks. If you have a Blendtec, Vitamix, or other high powered blender they will definitely be easier to make, but I'm pretty sure you can make these in a regular old blender, it just might take a little longer. My best guess is that the Magic Bullet would work well for a cheaper option. Haven't tried the Ninja yet, but I've heard great things.**One product I will refer to and LOVE are my jelly strainer bags. I use it to strain the coconut or almond milks and they're really cheap and fantastic - and not messy. Click Here to see which ones I use- the best deal I've found and 2 are included. I throw them in the wash and they're still fine.

Recipes:Coconut MilkSo my number one favorite dairy-free "milk" is coconut milk. It's delicious, nutritious and has the best consistency in my opinion. Also bakes the best (tied with hemp milk for consistency) in cow milk recipes. You can buy fortified coconut milk drinks (or other nut/seed drinks) from a variety of companies now including Trader Joe's, So Delicious and Silk in a variety of flavors- sweetened with stevia or cane sugar, unsweetened, chocolate, vanilla, or unsweetened vanilla. There are also a great variety of coconut milk products for sale (ice cream, yogurt, kefir, and more) but I won't get into that :)

I make mine using shredded coconut from Tropical Traditions.They have great untreated organic coconut in a bucket or 1lb bag and tend to have coupons and deals available. If you buy from them, make sure to use my Referral Code: 5685168 so we both get something free!

Here is my recipe based on a number of others I've seen:Coconut Milk1 cup shredded organic coconut (see above)5-6 cups boiled water*1/2-1 tsp guar gum (optional)Place coconut and about 4 cups of the boiling water in blender. Blend a few minutes. Pour into jelly bag held over a pitcher and squeeze until most of the milk comes out. You probably want to wait until it's cooler or use gloves. Pour the pulp out of the bag and back into the blender with around another cup of water- just enough to make it blend. Repeat the straining process. You now have coconut milk!If you wish to serve it immediately, go for it. If you want to keep it in the fridge, I recommend using some guar gum. Pour the milk back into the (cleaned) blender and add 1/2-1 tsp guar gum** (depending on how thick you want your milk). Blend and then pour again into your jar.Shake/stir before serving.*If you want your milk thicker/more creamy use less water. You have to play around with it to find your desired amount. **Guar gum is an extract of the Guar bean found in India and Pakistan. I find it cheaper and better than Xanthan gum (derivative of corn). If you don't use it, your milk will separate and be thinner after standing for a while.